Ron Earp
Admin
I recently was able to visit Fran's shop and have a look at his RCR cars. To be honest, due to me having a deposit on a RF car that was "on the way" I'd never really paid attention to Fran's cars that much. Wasn't that I didn't think I'd like them, but there wasn't much point - he came online after I'd made my choice so I casually looked at RCR posts with passing interest. However, I had established an email and phone relationship with Fran and I enjoyed my interactions with him, so to that end I'd always entertained a visit with him just to put a face with a name.
But, now since I might be looking for a new GT40, and could get in Fran's area easily on business excuses, I made the visit and am extremely glad I did.
One of the things I've always been weary of with GT40 chassis construction is a mono design. Maybe weary isn't the right word, but I like things to be simple in life and space frames are simple from the standpoint that I can visualize how to repair them fairly easily and know lots of race shops in my area that can do that. I can even do simple repairs myself if needed.
Right now I'm working with a situation that my racing partner and I might have to write off our beloved 260z race car, which has a lot of money invested in it, because the right side wheel base in 7/8" shorter than the left. It took a moderate hit last April at Roebling and the chassis is bent resulting in tracking issues on the rear that is hard to sort. Bad thrust angle and all of that. The pan is wrinkled and while the cage is intact and held everything nicely in place there, the rest of the car relative to the cage is bent and distorted. And, if not fixable, which it might not be, we lose an expensive caged chassis. Clearly, I was also worried about the same thing in a GT40 mono chassis, where a tube frame can be fixed relatively easily, the mono cannot in most cases.
However, looking at Fran's mono chassis I'm not that concerned about it. The chassis is constructed from laser cut aluminum panels that are of various thicknesses, with the floor pan and other pieces being 1/8" at least. It appears to be incredibly strong and I'm certain much stronger than the originals, although I think a tube frame chassis can be just as good too. I'd like to see some data on some comparisons. Anyhow, to use a comment one of the others there made upon viewing and picking apart the chassis - this RCR chassis takes the GT40 (and other self built cars) chassis to the next level. And after seeing a lot of GT40 chassis designs, I concur with the statement. It is that good and the next step in evolution of chassis design.
Some have expressed concern for an aluminum chassis due to stress cracks, but I don't share that concern. The plane I regularly fly is 30 years old and it is doing just fine, despite training literally 100s of pilots to fly and deal with some harsh treatment there (and as long as the AD is monitored with the tails that fall off!). The aluminum mono is light, which is important to me, and it is not brittle while resisting deep corrosion without coating. I think with the arms the chassis weighs right at 300lbs - pretty light. Makes me ashamed to be thinking of putting my iron block in one actually.
What this chassis does for the construction of a GT40 is phenomenal - it'd be dirt simple to build one of these cars. I think I could have one plumbed, lined, and ready for action in an afternoon, swear. Less if I don't drink beer. I've done a tube frame chassis with all the paneling, line running, etc. and this thing would be a very simple car to get into "running" order. Not only that, the way all the pieces like the suspension mounts, hinge points, etc. are precision mounted because of the laser cut hole location system of the panels - it doesn't depend on where the welder places the bolt ears on a particular day is they are 1/16th off etc. - it has positive location and will be accurate. It is very nice.
All the panels are welded together and the welds look perfect on the three chassis I viewed. RCR has milled suspension arms that preserve the original GT40 geometry (good or bad, your call) exactly, although the arms are ambidextrous and have a clever pin system that allows them to be used on each side of the car. These are designed to sheer at various points to provide protection in an accident and thus helping out to keep the chassis intact as well.
The motor mounts are ingenious because they are two pieces and depending on how the pieces are assembled they accommodate many different motors and locations. Custom steering racks and pedal box designs too, very neat stuff.
The body that RCR has is very good. I always thought the RF bodies were pretty good for self assembled cars, but these are even better. They have a more correct shape (flat on front clip, rear clip) and have all the duct work molded into the rear unlike most of the GT40 replica bodies. The glasswork is very good and I feel that concerns over chopper gunned bodies is not warranted. As long as they are laid up with proper mixtures, as these are, they work great. Might be a bit heavier than a hand laid body, but they are very strong. Anyway, the bodies are really good, little in the way of part lines, and best of all line up better than any bodies I've seen. No doors longer than the other, no clips needing attention, no doors that don't fit, and it has a very correct GT40 shape. His moulds are right and are producing very accurate GT40 bodies.
RCR's P4 and Lola bodies are similar and with the colored gel coats you could clean off part lines, buff it, and hit the road. Yes, it'd never look like a paint job and not saying it would, but for my Lola track car with, I hate to say it, a Chevy engine, I'll be just fine with cutting some lines and motoring off whilst skipping all that nasty prep and paint stuff. My problem is that while I want a GT40, I could see me building a Lola track car in short order and having a ball with it.
Fran does not yet have anything like a Deluxe kit that some companies have/had. He is working on it though, so those that want everything with their car will be able to get that at some point. RCR builder can easily come together and create parts lists too for those that are not after complete kits, so I could see that the process could be made easier with customer support. Once he works out wiring looms (Painless would be a simple solution) etc. he can offer a very complete kit if he likes, but, given the quality of the kit he provides you are already saving a huge amount of time with no panels to fit, body that is very good, etc.
To you guys that have already got an RCR car you made a good choice. I didn't know how good until I had a look myself, but now I do. In short, I am very impressed and glad that I went. I still have some more cars to have a look at before I decide on what sort of GT40 to pursue next, but this is going to be hard to beat I think. Really hard, and it has a nice advantage of being on my home turf. With every disaster comes opportunity, and, well, my opportunity is to get out there and have a look at the current GT40 market and get on with the dream. I'm not getting any younger and not stopping on owning a GT40 for myself.
Best,
Ron
But, now since I might be looking for a new GT40, and could get in Fran's area easily on business excuses, I made the visit and am extremely glad I did.
One of the things I've always been weary of with GT40 chassis construction is a mono design. Maybe weary isn't the right word, but I like things to be simple in life and space frames are simple from the standpoint that I can visualize how to repair them fairly easily and know lots of race shops in my area that can do that. I can even do simple repairs myself if needed.
Right now I'm working with a situation that my racing partner and I might have to write off our beloved 260z race car, which has a lot of money invested in it, because the right side wheel base in 7/8" shorter than the left. It took a moderate hit last April at Roebling and the chassis is bent resulting in tracking issues on the rear that is hard to sort. Bad thrust angle and all of that. The pan is wrinkled and while the cage is intact and held everything nicely in place there, the rest of the car relative to the cage is bent and distorted. And, if not fixable, which it might not be, we lose an expensive caged chassis. Clearly, I was also worried about the same thing in a GT40 mono chassis, where a tube frame can be fixed relatively easily, the mono cannot in most cases.
However, looking at Fran's mono chassis I'm not that concerned about it. The chassis is constructed from laser cut aluminum panels that are of various thicknesses, with the floor pan and other pieces being 1/8" at least. It appears to be incredibly strong and I'm certain much stronger than the originals, although I think a tube frame chassis can be just as good too. I'd like to see some data on some comparisons. Anyhow, to use a comment one of the others there made upon viewing and picking apart the chassis - this RCR chassis takes the GT40 (and other self built cars) chassis to the next level. And after seeing a lot of GT40 chassis designs, I concur with the statement. It is that good and the next step in evolution of chassis design.
Some have expressed concern for an aluminum chassis due to stress cracks, but I don't share that concern. The plane I regularly fly is 30 years old and it is doing just fine, despite training literally 100s of pilots to fly and deal with some harsh treatment there (and as long as the AD is monitored with the tails that fall off!). The aluminum mono is light, which is important to me, and it is not brittle while resisting deep corrosion without coating. I think with the arms the chassis weighs right at 300lbs - pretty light. Makes me ashamed to be thinking of putting my iron block in one actually.
What this chassis does for the construction of a GT40 is phenomenal - it'd be dirt simple to build one of these cars. I think I could have one plumbed, lined, and ready for action in an afternoon, swear. Less if I don't drink beer. I've done a tube frame chassis with all the paneling, line running, etc. and this thing would be a very simple car to get into "running" order. Not only that, the way all the pieces like the suspension mounts, hinge points, etc. are precision mounted because of the laser cut hole location system of the panels - it doesn't depend on where the welder places the bolt ears on a particular day is they are 1/16th off etc. - it has positive location and will be accurate. It is very nice.
All the panels are welded together and the welds look perfect on the three chassis I viewed. RCR has milled suspension arms that preserve the original GT40 geometry (good or bad, your call) exactly, although the arms are ambidextrous and have a clever pin system that allows them to be used on each side of the car. These are designed to sheer at various points to provide protection in an accident and thus helping out to keep the chassis intact as well.
The motor mounts are ingenious because they are two pieces and depending on how the pieces are assembled they accommodate many different motors and locations. Custom steering racks and pedal box designs too, very neat stuff.
The body that RCR has is very good. I always thought the RF bodies were pretty good for self assembled cars, but these are even better. They have a more correct shape (flat on front clip, rear clip) and have all the duct work molded into the rear unlike most of the GT40 replica bodies. The glasswork is very good and I feel that concerns over chopper gunned bodies is not warranted. As long as they are laid up with proper mixtures, as these are, they work great. Might be a bit heavier than a hand laid body, but they are very strong. Anyway, the bodies are really good, little in the way of part lines, and best of all line up better than any bodies I've seen. No doors longer than the other, no clips needing attention, no doors that don't fit, and it has a very correct GT40 shape. His moulds are right and are producing very accurate GT40 bodies.
RCR's P4 and Lola bodies are similar and with the colored gel coats you could clean off part lines, buff it, and hit the road. Yes, it'd never look like a paint job and not saying it would, but for my Lola track car with, I hate to say it, a Chevy engine, I'll be just fine with cutting some lines and motoring off whilst skipping all that nasty prep and paint stuff. My problem is that while I want a GT40, I could see me building a Lola track car in short order and having a ball with it.
Fran does not yet have anything like a Deluxe kit that some companies have/had. He is working on it though, so those that want everything with their car will be able to get that at some point. RCR builder can easily come together and create parts lists too for those that are not after complete kits, so I could see that the process could be made easier with customer support. Once he works out wiring looms (Painless would be a simple solution) etc. he can offer a very complete kit if he likes, but, given the quality of the kit he provides you are already saving a huge amount of time with no panels to fit, body that is very good, etc.
To you guys that have already got an RCR car you made a good choice. I didn't know how good until I had a look myself, but now I do. In short, I am very impressed and glad that I went. I still have some more cars to have a look at before I decide on what sort of GT40 to pursue next, but this is going to be hard to beat I think. Really hard, and it has a nice advantage of being on my home turf. With every disaster comes opportunity, and, well, my opportunity is to get out there and have a look at the current GT40 market and get on with the dream. I'm not getting any younger and not stopping on owning a GT40 for myself.
Best,
Ron